Topic: WL Online Magazine Interview with Norik and Yurik Vardanian

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Weightlifting Online Magazine Norik and Yurik Vardanian Interview Link

Interview with Norik & Yurik Vardanyan - July 2004

Q = Norik, thank you for talking with us at Online Weightlifting Magazine. We will talk to your father later. First, how long have you lived in the United States?

N.V. = We came to the United States about 1990 when I was about 3 years old. At first we lived in Glendale, Cal., but when I was in about 3rd grade we moved to Ventura County, not too far from L.A.

Q = Are you a surfer dude? Do you surf?

N.V. - No, but I like to go to the beach a lot. I go there quite a bit.

Q = Do you remember anything about the Soviet Union where you were born?

N.V. = No, not really. I grew up in the United States and that is what I remember.

Q = When did you start lifting?

N.V. = I satrted lifting about three years ago. My first meet was in Australia. I weighed about 74 kgs. This was in the fall of 2002. I did 95 kgs. in the snatch and 135 in the clean and jerk. I had been training about a year and a half.

Q = When you started lifting, did you realize how great your father had been as a lifter?

N.V. = I knew he had been good. But after I started lifting I went back and watched some of the tapes more and realized a little better just how great he had been.

Q =  Let's talk a little bit about how your father taught you to lift. Has he been pretty much your only coach?

N.V. = Yes. We train here at home. Right now my 9 year old brother trains with us. We usually train alone. Sarah Cardinal came and trained with us some. After the Olympic Trials, which I missed lifting in because of an injury, I trained with Boris Urman (Club Boris) for a while.

Q = How did your father start you and your brother out?

N.V. = First, he had us do power cleans from the hang with a light bar, 7 1/2 kgs. Then, after we mastered that, he had us do a front squat with it, working on keeping our backs tight. After that, we would work on power cleaning and then dropping down into the full clean. We also worked on jerks before we started working on snatches. My father taught us the hook grip right from the start. For the snatch, he taught us to start with overhead squats. Then, we went to power snatches from the hang, then from the floor, then into the full position. We did a lot more front squats than back squats at the start. He stressed keeping the back tight, and always stresses good technique.

Q = How is your little brother doing?

N.V. = He is 9 years old. He weighs about 35-37 kgs.He has done 27.5 in the clean and jerk. My father only has him doing front squats. He won't let him do back squats until he gets to where he can keep his back arched better while doing front squats and does not round his back doing back squats.

Q = Do you think we will have another champion from your family down the line?

N.V. = It is possible.

Q = Talk about your training. How many days per week do you train?

N.V. = We train six days a week, normally.

Q = Tell us about what exercises you might do in a workout,

N.V. = We start off with something light, maybe muscle snatches. We do a lot of them. Then, we might do snatches or power snatches. Then, if it is a heavy day, we might do cleans/ push presses or jerk (combination lift) or clean and jerks. Then we might do pulls or squats. We usually rotate pulls and squats.

Q = So you generally don't do squats and pulls in the same workout?

N.V. = Correct. Also, one of the 6 days we work out would usually be light. We might work mainly on jumping, maybe jumping over ropes from a stand or a run-up. (Plyometrics?)

Q = Tell us about some of your best lifts in meets and in training.

N.V = I usually lift a lot more in meets than in training. My best c&j. in a meet is 167.5. I cleaned 170 at the Jrs. My best in training is 155. I have snatched 130 in a meet. My best jerk off the rack is 165, my best front squat is 180 and my best back squat is 200.

Q = How much do you weigh?

N.V. = The most I have weighed is about 84 kgs. I was about 79 or 80 before the Americans and dropped to 77, but it was a little bit hard. So, I have moved up.

Q = How tall are you and how tall is your father?

N.V. = I am 5 feet, 9 inches tall.I am a little taller than my father.

Q = Have you played any other sports here, especially in school?

N.V. = I played basketball in junior high and as a freshman. It took up a lot of my time. So, now I only weightlift.

Q = Do you have any goals from a lifting standpoint?

N.V. = I want to total 320.

Q = That would be 140 and 180 at 85 kg?

N.V. = Yes.

Q = You want to do that at the Jrs. or Nationals?

N.V. = I want to do that at the Americans.

Q = Wow! How about goals down the line?

N.V. = Well, I would like to go to the Jr. worlds in 2005. Then, I would like to go to the Olympics in 2008. Before that I would like to go to the Sr. Worlds, also.

Q - Have you given any thought to your plans after high school?

N.V. = I will be a senior in high school next year. I am pretty good in math and I like math, so I might look at something in that area as far as studying or in the future. I think it would be cool to go to the OTC and train and attend college in Colorado.

Q = Do you see your self competing past 2008?

N.V. = If I can avoid injury, then definitely.

Q = Have you had any injury problems?

N.V. = I hurt my wrist after the Nationals this year. I couldn't train too hard for about two months. I could work my legs and squat, but it limited my training.

Q = Are there any American lifters or any lifters from your father's era that you admire?

N.V. = When I was at the OTC, I really liked the way Oscar Chaplin lifted. I like how he is so calm before he lifts. Also, I like the way all of Shane Hamman's lifts look so easy.As far as lifters from my father's era, I got to see Yurik Sarkisian lift in Colorado last year. he is still lifting some good weights. My dad was real good friends with him in earlier years, so I really admire him.

Q = Norik, best of luck to you in the future, and let's hope we see that 320 total at the Americans and see you representing the US many times in the future.

N.V. = Thank you.

Q = What caused you to come to the United States?

Y.V. = There was political upheaval in the Soviet Union in the late 1980's and 1990. For 10 years I had been a member of parliment. There were a lot of changes going on in the Soviet Union, so I decided to leave.

Q = Let's talk about your lifting bachground. Give readers a few of the highlights of your career.

Y.V. = I won 2 junior world championships and I was 7 times senior world champion. I also won the Olympic gold in 1980. I set 43 world records during my career.

Q = Tell us how you got started in your lifting career in the Soviet Union.

Y.V. = My uncle was a coach in the Soviet Union and he got me started. At first I didn't like it, but after about three months I started to like lifting.

Q = About how long from the time you started lifting  did it take until you became Jr. world champion?

Y.V. = About 2-3 years. I already knew something about lifting before I started from going to the gym with my uncle to watch them lift.

Q = Tell us what your all-time best lifts were.

Y.V = I totaled 400 kg. at 82.5 kgs.

Q = Who were some of your toughest opponents?

Y.V. = Probably my toughest opponents were Yordan Mitkov of Bulgaria and Blago Blagoev also of Bulgaria.

Q = Of all the lifters you ever saw lift, what lifters impressed you the most?

Y.V = Including the Soviet Union?

Q = Yes.

Y.V. = David Rigert.

Q = Any others?

Y.V. = The gap between them and David Rigert would be very great. second place would be very far below David Rigert.

Q = What was it about David Rigert that impressed you so much?

Y.V. = He was always ready to lift. I watched him train many times. He trained and lifted like a lifter should. It is not only what you lift, but how you lift it.He also looked like a lifter should look.

Q = Could you discuss how you trained in the Soviet Union and compare that to how the Bulgarians trained?

Y.V. = The Bulgarians trained a lot and they trained very heavy. That is why they got hurt a lot.

Q = Before a world championships, how many times per week would you train?

Y.V. = I trained 8 times per week. Three days per week I trained twice, 2 days I trained once, and  one day  of the week I rested. One day of the week we played sports, maybe ran and jumped, maybe played volleyball.

Q = Sort of like active rest?

Y.V = Yes.

Q = What was your opinion of Vasili Alexeev?

Y.V. = I respected the weights he lifted and the records he set. As far as the way he lifted and his attitude, I did not like this so well. As an athlete, I don't think that he made people want to become lifters like Rigert did.

Q = From what you have seen of lifting in the US, what do you think we need to do to make our sport better?

Y.V = I think there needs to be an improvement in the way lifters prepare for competitions. It is true that lifters should have a basic program, but it is up to the coach to adjust the program to the needs of the individual lifter.

Q = How would you like for lifting fans to remember Yurik Vardanyan?

Y.V = I would like for them to remember me not just as somebody who could lift big weights with his body, but as someone who lifted big weights with his mind.

Q = Speaking now of your son Norik, what do you think his strong and weak points are as a lifter?

Y.V = He is a good lifter. He is able to handle the hard training very well. As to his weak points, he always needs to work on his positions.  His weakest point is that he is unable to coach himself. He is not yet able to tell what he is doing wrong and correct it himself.  When I was younger I was able to do this. My uncle (my coach) had not been a great lifter, so I had to help learn myself what I was doing. Because Norik has me, he relies on me for correction and coaching. He needs to learn to feel what he is doing wrong so he can help to correct his mistakes himself.

Q = What goals do you have for Norik in the future?

Y.V. = Of course the Olympics in 2008 is our major goal. Also, to make the Junior world team next year.

Q = Norik also mentioned that you wanted him to total 320 Kg. at the American Open this year as an 85. True?

Y.V. = Yes, this is our goal. I feel 99% sure that he can make this.

Q = How would you compare life in the US with life back in the old Soviet Union?

Y.V. = Here you have much freedom. Back in the Soviet Union - not so much freedom. You have heard of the KGB?

Q = Yes, I have. Any other thoughts?

Y.V. = Yes. I remember seeing Tommy Kono, Paul Anderson and John Davis on television (on tape?) They were great lifters. I admired their ability. I hope that all of us working together can help to improve weightlifting in the US and make it more popular again and bring it back up to where it used to be.

Q = Yurik, Norik, thank you for your time and good luck in the future.

N.V & Y.V. = Thank you.